"For real? In one go? You're serious, right?"
Once again, Ciel's voice dominated the lifeless expanse surrounding them. However, this time, her pitch indicated something different from anger or frustration.
No, it was brimming with excitement.
"Yes. I'm serious." Legris responded with a slight shrug.
"Yayyyyyy! Let's go with that plan then!"
Ciel began to jump in anticipation, not even concerned at all that her two partners were staring at her with embarassed gazes.
She even started dancing!
"You really… know no shame, do you?" Legris asked, one of his hands covering his face as he shook his head.
There was a reason this woman was determined to be mentally unstable.
"Shameless woman…" Even Stefan muttered words that connoted his thoughts on Ciel, though he ensured no one could hear what he just said.
"Pssh! You two are no fun."
"It's not about fun at all. Sure, the plan is incredibly efficient, but like I said earlier… it's risky." Legris shattered the excitement that Ciel had been building up.
Something told him she didn't hear the whole 'risky' part, but instead focused on the benefits attached to this backup strategy.
"A-ah… is that so?"
"Legris, considering the benefits alone, you would have made this backup plan your main strategy. For you to have relegated such an efficient solution to the background… that means the risks are incredible…" Stefan iterated, causing both of the other two to look in his direction.
"... Am I right?"
After he asked the question, attention shifted to Legris, and he rubbed he shut his eyes, almost as if considering all that Stefan just postulated.
Then… he smiled.
"You are correct. This second plan is indeed very risky. It is a simple 'high stakes, high reward' scenario."
Despite Legris' aversion to risk, however, he seemed to be warming up more and more to the prospect of the plan.
"If we had undertaken this mission at the start of our journey, maybe we would have a 2 percent chance of success—at most." Despite saying that, his grin did not disappear.
Instead, it grew wider.
"But now, I'd say we have a 30 percent chance of success. A lot has changed since we started this journey. We've been through quite a bit together, and now… well, it's our final stand."
Legris heaved a sigh as he looked at the expectant faces of his two colleagues. Spending years together was more than enough to draw people closer to each other.
When they first started their journey, Stefan was never expressive, and Ciel would never speak out her thoughts so brazenly.
Yet, as time progressed, they found themselves drawing closer and closer.
Even though they now stood above the toppled corpses of their victims, Legris realized just how much of a bond he had formed with these two.
Whoch was why he had to ask them…
"... Are you both willing to undertake this risk with me?"
It was a simple question, but the meaning behind it was evident.
For a while, no one said anything.
The trio simply took turns exchanging glances, waiting for the respective answers they would deliver to the question.
"I am willing to do anything as long as I can be with my Nether." Ciel was the first to respond, her brilliant smile.
Her golden eyes showed no fear or hesitation at all, and she seemed completely supportive of the plan.
But why?
Perhaps it was truly due to her desperation to be reunited with her lover… or the trust she now had in Legris and his competence.
Either way, her choice had been made.
"I… am not sure." Stefan's voice broke through the bright atmosphere that was already beginning to form due to the comaraderie being expressed in the group.
Hesitation bled from his expression, and his words did not betray his true feelings on the matter.
However…
"I am curious about what this plan is, and how you intend to execute it. So, I'll be tagging along."
… As a member of the team, he was not going to abandon it now.
"You two…" Legris' grin contorted into an expression of genuine emotion.
His widened eyes slowly began to fall slightly, and a soft smile played on his lips as he looked at the two allies before him.
"... Thank you."
Both Ciel and Stefan returned his thanks with optimistic smiles, and that caused him to smile even more.
"I suppose since we all agree to this, we should initiate the plan. But, just to increase our odds a little more… let's be a bit more patient." He raised his index finger, and a look of seriousness instantly shrouded his face.
"We need a bit more Constellation Energy… to make the odds at least 50 percent. Since we only have one shot at this plan, I reckon we meticulously handle the matter."
Stefan and Ciel both noded at his words.
Legris had never been wrong about their plans and actions before, and he wasn't going to let them down now.
That was why they trusted him… and he trusted them.
"Now I'm excited about all of this!"
********
"Are you ready?"
As I heard the Constellation before me speak, my thoughts were split into various fragments.
My body trembled slightly, experiencing both excitement and aversion, but I refused to give in to either or both.
I gulped down my saliva and readied my nerves for the gut-wrenching battle that was about to occur.
'So far, I have somewhat gotten accustomed to the way Constellations fight. I still can't completely get used to it, though.'
Each Constellation possessed power beyond the reach and imagination of limited entities like me, and even when fighting me, they used such a variety of abilities that threw me in for a loop.
'So far, I have fought 11 Constellations… and I have lost every single time.'
My final opponent was the most difficult one yet.
Her viscous, liquid-like body floated before me, waiting for me to signify my readiness to initiate the fight.
'She's apparently the oldest and most powerful…' I shuddered at the thought of going against her head-on, but I realized I had to do this anyway.
And so, bracing myself for the last time, I maintained my glare and clenched my fist. My lips slowly parted to reveal my response to her earlier question.
"I'm ready!"
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[A/N]
Thank you all for reading!
Looks like we are in for a treat, don't you think?
Who do you think will win?
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